Will flags flutter this Memorial Day on the Glendale-Hyperion bridge?

Memorial Day came and went last year without any American flags waving from the Glendale-Hyperion bridge as they have in years past. Last year, the city lacked the money to install the flags on the span linking Atwater Village and Silver Lake in time for the holiday, explained a spokesman for Tom LaBonge. This year, however, there appears to be more money, and LaBonge has introduced a City Council motion to allocate a little more than $2,000 to hang 30 red, white and blue flags from lampposts of the Glendale-Hyperion bridge, which was built in the late 1920s and is also known Victory Memorial Bridge. The flags will remain until Nov. 30. Says the motion:

With the upcoming observance of Memorial Day, the celebration of our country’s birth on Independence Day, the patriotism of 9/11, and honoring of our Nation’s veterans, it is significant and appropriate for United States flags to be installed along the Glendale-Hyperion Viaduct Bridge to commemorate these occasions and to salute our veterans and armed forces who have served in defense of our country.

But the City Council will be cutting it close. The motion has been scheduled for a vote on Friday, May 25 – three days before Memorial Day.

Make sure you include all costs, including insurance (workers comp, etc.), crane/dolly lift rentals, workers needed and their pay per hr (add 25% to that for the actual employer costs), how long it will take to safely mount poles w/flags high up on 30 lamp posts, and perhaps even needing to block lanes, etc.

And then take them down (I am assuming here that that might be included in the quote).

Then consider the costs the city could endure if it wasn’t done safely (i.e., cheaply, unlicensed contractors, etc). When a flag w/pole falls down in a 70mph windstorm (remember that??) and hits a pedestrian and/or causes a car accident resulting in injury/death.

The motion says the money is coming out of the street furniture advertising fund. I’m thinking that when you consider the cost of the equipment rental and meeting other city requirements (insurance, prevailing wages, etc.) the cost is about right. We’d probably get more bang for the buck if we had them hang more than only 30!

I agree. To do it safely and considering all the other incidental costs, it seems about right.

Now of course, someone or some company could probably do it much cheaper, at the expense of safety (safety of the crew installing them high on lamp posts and the safety of pedestrians/cars below—i.e., a flag w/pole falling down and hitting a pedestrian, causing a car accident, etc. —imagine the lawsuit the city would THEN have to PAY.).

People here never seem to think beyond a 1-2 steps, they just love to ‘REACT’.

I really missed the flags last year…didn’t realize how much I liked them until they were gone. If LaBonge’s office was able to set up a donation site I bet people would fast fill up the $2k cost. I’d pony up.

I agree with fleaman & Will. If you take a few seconds to read the motion, you will see that the $2000 is paid to AAA Flag & Banner Company….. well worth it for the 6 months they will be up. I’m just wondering why Tom LaBonge waited until the last minute to submit this. If it is not approved, many of us, I believe, would be willing to donate a few bucks for this project that will enhance an already iconic neighborhood bridge!

The flags were going up today, a private company that seems to focus on/specialize in US Flags was on the bridge this morning . I couldn’t catch the name while driving by, but “American” was part of it and had a brightly painted flag graphic on the side of the truck.

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